Ecce Homo Pietoso ( loose translation: I am only human, have pity on me ) disintegrates then rebuilds ( most of the time ) human voice material only and is greatly inspired by the work of the Anglo-Irish painter Francis Bacon ( 1909-1992 ). His art is famous for its often bold, grotesque and nightmarish imagery. May I add: compassion...? Compassion for humanity...?

The human voice may be the root of all musical instruments. All pitched instruments that we know and play today, spawn from the abilities of the human voice. Best of all ( ? ), every human being is born with the ability to express their thoughts and emotions like anger, sadness, grief, desolation, isolation, sorrow, happiness and surprise through speech and/or singing.

From Gregorian chants to the slavery work songs, the human voice is a necessary component in virtually all styles of music. Throughout Medieval and Classical times, the singing voice was found in operas and choirs. The style of singing was very structured and only began to take flight in the Romantic era (1800 -1900). In this era the use of vibrato ( ! ) in the voice was first found. The music of this era focused on particularly on drama and emotion. This style of singing had a very important role in the evolution of opera and piano/voice duets. Also around this time, women were permitted to sing along in operas and the like. Prior to this, men and boys were the main voices heard. The Castrati ( castrated males... ) would then sing the soprano ( high range ) parts...

One of the most important roots in the evolution of vocal music is the African American. African American slaves brought with them a very unique style of singing. Using these songs and spirituals as a survival mechanism ( from the torment they endured as slaves ), gave this music a raw human element. This music was pure cathartic expression and the epitome of what vocal music should be. The music alone was strong enough for an entire culture to endure hundreds of years of severe torture and hard labor. It kept them alive and moving forward in the horror we call slavery.

Epilogue - When you mix the structured knowledge of Old World European harmony with the raw human emotion of African American music, you indeed unleash forces to be reckoned with. Forces which gave root to the blues, rhythm and blues, rock 'n roll, pop and hiphop.